MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II on Friday ordered immediate inquest proceedings on the suspected bomb maker and alleged member of the terrorist Maute Group arrested by the authorities in Cagayan de Oro City.
The suspect, identified as Mohaamad Maute alias Abu Jadid, 22, a
resident of Butig, Lanao del Sur, and suspected bomb expert of the Maute Group,
was arrested Thursday by a joint team of Martial Law Special Action Group
(ML-SAG), consisting of police and military operatives, National Intelligence
Coordinating Agency and other members of the local intelligence community,
outside a room he was renting in a house in Sitio Santa Cruz, Barangay Macasandig.
His apprehension was based on Arrest Order No. 1 issued and signed by
National Defense Secretary and Martial Law Administrator Delfin Lorenzana dated
June 5, 2017, for violating Article 134 on rebellion under the Revised Penal
Code.
“The arrest of Mohaamad Maute is a very welcome development in our
efforts to bring to justice the perpetrators behind the attacks on the people
of Marawi City. Only by successfully prosecuting the responsible parties can we
vindicate the people of Marawi City, particularly the innocent victims,”
Aguirre said in a statement.
”The perpetrators of the dastardly attacks on Marawi City must be
brought to justice, no questions there. I have instructed the Panel of
Prosecutors to immediately conduct the inquest proceedings and to expedite
their prosecution and hopefully, their conviction.”
Aguirre also reiterated the need to transfer to the Metro Manila courts
the cases against the Maute terrorist group.
”The arrest of Mohaamad Maute in Macasandig in Cagayan de Oro further
justifies our request to the Supreme Court for the transfer of the hearing of
these cases from Cagayan de Oro courts,” he said.
“Imagine, one of the personalities involved in the Marawi takeover
already in Cagayan de Oro City! This fact justifies the collective fear of our
prosecutors and everyone who will be involved in the prosecution of these
cases.”
The justice secretary said he had already sent two letters dated June
14 and 15 to Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, asking that
“the regional trial court (RTC) in Taguig City be designed as the court to try
and decide all cases and incidents arising from the Maute takeover of Marawi
City”.
Aguirre said members of the judiciary and national prosecution service
fear for their safety in the conduct of the inquest, preliminary investigation
and trial of the cases involving the Maute Group.
"There is a clear and present danger to the security of police
escorts and detainees subject of the inquest proceedings for rebellion, as
shown in the recent ambush of the police convoy in neighboring Lanao del Norte
on June 10, 2017, which caused the wounding of three police escorts and the
death of the four detainees," he said in one of the letters.
"In the interest of the safety of our personnel, to provide proper
detention facilities to apprehended members of the Maute Group and to serve the
ends of justice, may we request the regional trial court in Taguig City to be
designated as the court to try and decide all cases and incidents arising from
the Maute Group takeover of Marawi City."
Aguirre said he has personally inspected the detention facility of arrested
Maute members and supporters in Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City and saw
several problems.
”Camp Evangelista does not have proper detention facilities to
accommodate apprehended members of the Maute Group. The Armed Forces of the
Philippines does not have adequate training to provide proper jail management
and funds for food and other provision for detainees," he explained in the
letter.
Aguirre has also requested the SC to designate the Special Intensive
Care Areas (SICA) located in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City as the detention
facility for apprehended members of Maute Group as it houses high-profile and
dangerous individuals.
He noted that the Cagayan de Oro courts, which are temporarily located
at the City Tourism Hall after the Hall of Justice was gutted by fire in
January 2015, are not a convenient venue for the trial.
"The modest office space of the City Tourism Hall cannot
accommodate the influx of detainees to be arraigned or to undergo preliminary
investigation of trial. Moreover, the facility is not secure enough to be a
venue of a high-profile, very dangerous group of individuals," the DOJ
chief said.
Last June 6, the SC designated the Cagayan de Oro regional trial court
to handle cases filed against Maute members and supporters while the military's
Camp Evangelista would serve as the detention of the arrested suspects.
Earlier, the DOJ approved the filing of rebellion charges against
Ominta Tamano "Farhana" Maute, mother of Maute Group leaders Abdullah
and Omar; former Marawi City Mayor Fahad Salic; and nine others linked to the
ongoing armed conflict in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur before the Cagayan de Oro
City RTC.
The centralized Prosecution Office of Lanao del Sur and Marawi City
accuses (the 11 individuals) of the crime of rebellion under Article 134 of the
Revised Penal Code,” read the four-page resolution dated June 13, 2017 signed
by prosecutors Ramonchito Bienvenido Ocampo Jr. and Liezel Aquiatan.
Rebellion is a non-bailable offense.
Aside from Salic and Maute, also charged in court were Sumaya Bangkit
Masakal, Radiea Tugosa Asire, Mariam Ibnu Abubakar, Zafeerah Rosales Musa,
Nehreen Macaraya Abdul, Nora Moctar Limgas, Mardiyya Haji Ali, Sumayya Lawi Ali
and Noronisa Haji Camal.
All 11 accused were included in the list of more than 300 individuals
identified as members of the Maute Group, the Abu Sayyaf Group, and their
sympathizers earlier ordered arrested by the government for the crime of
rebellion.
They were indicted after investigating prosecutors found probable cause
to file the case in court following inquest proceedings held at their temporary
detention cell in Camp Evangelista in Cagayan de Oro City. (Christopher Lloyd
T. Caliwan/PNA)posted by becky D. de Asis - The Rdline News Philipines)
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